Dick Appleyard

President, Appleyard Agency

Carolyn, Dick and their son Rick are all proud graduates of UWF and are still involved with the University individually and as part of the Appleyard Agency.

UWF professors have significantly impacted us and our careers. Our success at the Appleyard Agency is due in part to the training we received at UWF. It is exciting to see the current faculty and others affiliated with the University who are influencing today’s students and the community. UWF is a vital part of Pensacola, and I’m proud of how it has grown.

When did you know you wanted to work in advertising?

I was groomed for the family business, working as a janitor at Appleyard Agency even before high school. I moved on to other jobs and later worked at WCOA and Mayes Printing, and I continued to learn the inner workings of the business.

What do you find most rewarding about your business?

The opportunities to own your own business in your hometown and make contributions to the community are the most rewarding aspects.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time at UWF?

I played basketball at UWF and during my senior year, I was part of the first integrated basketball team to play in South Africa, which organized its own games in Johannesburg when the country had been kicked out of the Olympics due to Apartheid. Earl Watson, a health, leisure and sports professor at UWF, organized that team that included several UWF players. We held our own against the competition, and I had job offers in coaching and marketing while I was in South Africa.